Saturday, May 23, 2020

Funky But Good. Funky AND Good


Here is La Sirena, or perhaps we should call her La Sirenita. The Little Mermaid. She has recently learned to swim in her other grandmother's swimming pool and as you can see, she is brown as a little toasted marshmallow. I'd say brown as a berry but I've never in my life seen a brown berry.
Lily brought the kids over for a visit today and although it was hot we had a good time. At least Mermer did. As soon as they arrived, Magnolia raced for the hen house to find eggs and she did. A brown and a green which she presented to me. Then, of course, she wanted to hold a chick. She did her best to catch Fancy Pants but could not and finally Lily went and did it and all three of the kids got to hold the little roo.


Maggie adores animals. I mean, she is crazy about them. They brought Pepper with them as usual and for awhile we chatted in the front yard with my across-the-street neighbor who had her one-year old doggie, Stella, out for a walk. Maggie could not keep her hands off of Stella who is a most rambunctious dog. She patted her and she let Stella kiss her with puppy-tongued wild enthusiasm. 
"She kissed me right here!" Maggie cried, showing me the space between her lips and nose. Then she dove back for more kisses. Maggie, hands on hips, asked Linda many, many questions. When Linda pointed out her husband, Paul, sitting on the porch across the street, Maggie asked, "Is he your daddy?" 
"No," said Linda. He is my husband. 
"Is he Stella's daddy?" 
"Yes. He is."
And so forth up to and including asking if Linda has a daddy and a mommy. A lot of information was exchanged. 


Lily had brought me a few things I needed from Publix. Tomorrow, for May's birthday, I am making a batch of to-go shrimp flautas. She and Michael are coming out and I needed a few ingredients for those. I gave Lily some eggs and wanted to give her squash and green beans but she and the kids are going out of town on Monday to visit Lauren's parents. This is hugely exciting because they have not only a pool but also six dogs AND some goats who have a barn with a TV in it for their watching pleasure. 
I am not kidding. 
You can only imagine how spoiled the children will be if they have a TV for their goats. 
And to put the cherry on top of the cowgirl, they have bunny rabbits!!!!
Jump back, Jack. Life is good for the Hartmann kids. Maggie will probably move in with them. 


Here's my Gibson. The heat affects him more than the others and also, bugs adore him. They always have. Whatever it is that attracts biting insects to humans, that boy has it in spades. Plus, the bites always cause a bad reaction. So being outside in the summer is not his favorite thing. But he was a trouper. 

So that was fun for all of us except possibly Gibson. Lily and Owen took a tour of our garden. Lily has just started growing some vegetables and she wants a big garden now. Hank and Rachel want a little garden at their new place and May has a very small patch in the sunniest part of her city yard. Of course Jessie and Vergil have replaced most of their lawn with raised beds and designated garden spots with fruit trees too. I love the fact that my babies are growing good things to eat. It's a nice feeling to know that they have an interest in something I've done all of their lives. 

I know I've posted this picture before but this was me, probably about the age of twenty-four, barefoot in my garden when we lived about ten miles from here. 


The picture has faded but I have too and I am glad I have it to remind me of my hippie days although truthfully, I'll always be in my hippie days. It was in a trailer on that same property that May was born and because my labors were always so long and protracted, by this time of the day, forty-two years ago, I had already been in labor all day and that sweet bebe wasn't born until the sun came up the next day. 
She was worth the wait. 
And I remember making supper the night she was born (yes I did!) and we had peas and potatoes from our garden with a cream sauce. One of the happiest days of my life. 

And here I am, an old hippie woman who still loves her garden and who still loves babies although even her grandbabies are growing up. 
After Lily and the kids left, I had a leisurely afternoon. My biggest accomplishment was filing my nails. I swear, they grow with preternatural swiftness. 

I also discovered that either Liberace, Darla or Dottie has worms. 
Ugh. 
I suspect Liberace although all three of them were on the porch where I found the wormy poop. 
Guess it's time to buy some worm treatment. After a little research I have discovered that worms are quite common in chickens and are rarely much of a problem but for safety's sake (and the sake of my mental health) I need to take care of this problem. A lot of people worm their chickens twice yearly just because it's so common and I suppose I should start doing that myself. 

So that's the news from Lloyd tonight. I've already chopped all the vegetables to make a fine baked chicken and rice dinner. We had a short but good rain and so we don't have to water the garden and the birds are singing their evening songs and I imagine that soon the frogs will gather for choral practice. 
For a moment at least, I feel like this is as good as it gets in a life. My sack of blessings feels extremely full in my arms and I am strong enough to hold them. 

Be well, y'all. 

Love...Ms. Moon


20 comments:

  1. Oh god I love that photo of you ♥️

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    1. Thank you, Rebecca. I wish we had known each other then.

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  2. oh goodness! Look at that long beautiful braid and your perfect yoga squat out in the garden! Why is this font so whacky? I have no idea. And poor Gibson..... I feel for him, as heat doesn't treat me kindly, and I have been an insect *magnet* since childhood....and it hasn't gotten any better. Your day sounds absolutely healing
    Susan M

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    1. It was a beautiful day. And yes, I remember when I could squat like that with ease.
      I feel so sorry for bug magnets.

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  3. Can you still squat like that? I still could, until some time in my sixties. And now, well, no more, never, no never again...
    Dear Gibson needs to wear a hat. Beautiful black hair like his absorbs every joule, every watt, every calorie, every BTU of heat.

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    1. So last night when I was brushing my teeth I thought about this comment and I decided to see if I could still squat and I can but getting up isn't as easy as it used to be.
      It's true. His Italian heritage isn't very Florida friendly.

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  4. I sure love hearing about those kids! It's been too long since I've had young ones around here. I feel for Gibson with the heat and the bugs. I was the same way and so was my youngest son. Sean would just get eaten up by the mosquitos and every bite would swell something awful. Poor kid ran around with baking soda packs all over him in the summer!

    I am so happy for all of your blessings!

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    1. The horrid yellow flies seem to delight in me but mosquitoes are not particularly drawn to me nor are fleas. I will do if no one else is around but I'm not their first choice. I am grateful for that.

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  5. Definitely not a fan of worms either.

    I'm glad you have a lovely day, it sounds and feels peaceful and loving. Your grandkids are lucky to have you as their grandma. We had the little guy this weekend and enjoyed are time with him but my god he is active and strong.

    I love that photo of you. Stay safe my friend.

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    1. Earthworms are okay but worms expelled from a living body are definitely NOT. Just...gross.
      And yet, a part of life especially in hot climates in the country.
      Oh, I know you love that little guy but I know it's not easy keeping up with him. Bless you.

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  6. it's not happiness but contentment we should strive for. happiness is fleeting and it would be so exhausting if it was sustained. I've not seen that picture of you before. my son is like Gibson. every bug bite turned into a sore.

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    1. For me, contentment IS happiness. The best kind. I am never not appreciative of it.

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  7. Little Magnolia is growing up so fast! I love the nickname "La Sirenita" for her. My family always said, "Brown as a berry", too. I always wondered where that came from, since I've never seen a brown berry.

    Poor Gibson. I so relate to his summer torment. Poor guy to be growing up in Florida, too. That's tough! He's sure a cutie, though. I like his smile.

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    1. Gibson is a strong boy but he does suffer in the summers. He does have a beautiful smile, doesn't he?
      And Magnolia is becoming more and more like a woman child than a woman baby daily. She needs to slow down!

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  8. What a spectacular post -- happy birthday to your girl!

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  9. Oh poor Gibson, I feel for him. I'm the same, can't stand the heat and the bugs just love me! That photo of you is lovely but I bet you wonder where on earth the years went right. And I'm intrigued to find out what kinds of programmes goats like to watch!

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    1. Yes. It's funny. In some ways that picture does seem like yesterday but in other ways it could be a different planet during a different eon. I swear.
      I'll let you know about the goat favorites if I find out.

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  10. Lovely picture of lovely hippie days.

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  11. I love the hippie garden photo! It's so funny to hear kids ask questions about relationships and the ways people are connected -- they're trying to figure out how it all works.

    I had no idea chickens could even GET worms.

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